The Producer Actually Matters

Here's a list of some producers who do a great job of getting the best out of mediocre bands or making good bands sound amazing.

Ross Robinson - He did wonders for Slipknot, Glassjaw and From First To Last, among many others.

Rick Rubin - This guy is just plain amazing. He produced most of Cash's final albums, and even suggested many of the covers he did... which is why we have Johnny Cash covers of Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, etc. He's also the reason Red Hot Chili Peppers albums tend to sound so great, he did wonders for The Mars Volta and even got a decent album out of Linkin Park.

Danny Lohner - This guy's pretty much my personal hero. He learned everything he knows from Trent Reznor, and any time I see his name on the credits of a song or album I know it's going to be good. He's worked with everyone from Marilyn Manson to Johnette Napolitano and remixed everyone from Deftones to David Bowie.

Rock producers are often the silent members of a band... when their coherent vision and technical expertise make a great album, nobody really cares. The band gets the fans, the credit and the glamor. The only time anybody really thinks about the producer is if the album sounds terrible. When they do something right, people won't be sure they've done anything at all.